Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 111 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 111
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 111
  3. Negative: 10 out of 111
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  1. AitbomeronDad
    Dec 25, 2003
    10
    My boy played the heck out of this game over and over again. Worth every penny.
  2. Helmore
    Apr 5, 2012
    10
    Absolutely great game. Great bosses, minigames and music. The graphics aren't amazing obviously but the art direction is great. Really really fun, a true classic.
  3. mariomar
    Dec 1, 2012
    8
    Its a great game if you have a nostalgic feeling about it or the other Rayman games, but maybe not something you would pick up in the future if you are a modern 1st or 3rd person shooter fanboy.
  4. Carooff
    Apr 1, 2013
    10
    I have to say this is my favourite game of all time. The art style was really different and interesting to me, even at a young age. The combat system was very like Rayman 2's, but I'm not saying that's a bad thing. The strafing mechanics and also the effects the many different powers have on the fighting are are easy to get the hang of and become good at. I think this game is the mainI have to say this is my favourite game of all time. The art style was really different and interesting to me, even at a young age. The combat system was very like Rayman 2's, but I'm not saying that's a bad thing. The strafing mechanics and also the effects the many different powers have on the fighting are are easy to get the hang of and become good at. I think this game is the main reason that I ot into PC gaming.… Expand
  5. CaptainCupboard
    Apr 6, 2013
    9
    A simply incredible game. The game is somewhat short but the experience is just fantastic, there are parts of the game the really make your heart beat, the bosses and enemies are great fun albeit frustrating. The graphics is pretty good for its time and the scenery is really beautiful, there is a wide variety of places from magical forests and mythical lands to evil desserts and boggyA simply incredible game. The game is somewhat short but the experience is just fantastic, there are parts of the game the really make your heart beat, the bosses and enemies are great fun albeit frustrating. The graphics is pretty good for its time and the scenery is really beautiful, there is a wide variety of places from magical forests and mythical lands to evil desserts and boggy swamps, it is rather artistic. The camera angling can really get on your nerves but otherwise combats really enjoyable. An imaginative, inspiring game with great humour and good solid gameplay.… Expand
  6. EremitaJ
    Jul 30, 2014
    9
    This game is brilliant. You can take away Murphy and his stupid 4th wall DEMOLITION and you have a nice and solid Rayman title. Yes, in some parts the graphics are amazingly outdated but I think it's part of a certain charm that only Rayman games can give us. Alas, old friend.
  7. MichMart
    Mar 1, 2014
    9
    The gameplay is various and it has many funny and interesting scenes. The characters are good and I'm glad they can speak normal (in contrast to Rayman 2). You can unlock mini games and videos by collecting points, which is truly effectively.
  8. ckeen
    Feb 12, 2014
    10
    One of the bests, if not the best platform game you were able to find at this time. The atmosphere given by the music and by the game design is just wonderful, the humorous touch is omnipresent.
  9. runner
    Dec 3, 2021
    8
    I've always been a big fan of the old-school Rayman series (i.e. 1, 2, and 3) and specifically the third one used to be my favorite. It's been awhile since I've touched these games and have decided lately to revisit the entire series, including the latest Origins and Legends which I have never played, in fact.
    So Rayman 3, here it goes: I remember never understanding why this game was    I've always been a big fan of the old-school Rayman series (i.e. 1, 2, and 3) and specifically the third one used to be my favorite. It's been awhile since I've touched these games and have decided lately to revisit the entire series, including the latest Origins and Legends which I have never played, in fact.
    So Rayman 3, here it goes: I remember never understanding why this game was received less positively than the second installment, but playing it again years after, with more "critical eyes" made me realize why.
    The series went a long way from the original two titles and it seems Ubisoft was trying to experiment with the direction everything was going to.
    Rayman 3 is another (and unfortunately the last) 3D platforming title of the series, but it managed to be a lot more different than Rayman 2 in many aspects.
    Technically, Rayman 3's graphics have been raised up by a notch, it all seems very lush and colorful as ever but sharper and crisper than its predecessor. I personally think the PC version looks very good even nowadays, and even compared to the HD remake (putting aside the horrible compressed cutscenes..).
    While this is still a platformer, it does feel the gameplay has been radically changed - R3 is WAY more combat-focused than the previous games. This, along with the new scoring+combo system, gave the game a much more arcade-ish feeling. This is not a bad thing, but you really gotta like it.
    While the entire movement and controls feel more smooth and polished than Rayman 2, platforming somehow feels clunkier at times and the movement feels less precise. The uncomfortable camera positions also contribute to this. Still, this is nothing horribly wrong, and while there's a large share of platforming, there's even a larger share of combat, so you'd probably won't have much time to notice the downsides of the platforming :)
    Another nice point is that the actual "platforming" is in fact incorporated very well into the combat itself, meaning you would not just smash the "fire" key but will have a lot of movement involved to dodge enemies and get the right angles, etc. So the combat itself is indeed quite fun, and feels very acrobatic compared to other titles. It gets slightly irritating at times thanks to the problematic camera controls mentioned earlier.
    Eventually, though, the main 'issue' is not the combat itself but the fact that as mentioned, it changes the series' characteristics greatly. If you love combat you'll be just fine, but I can see how this loses a bit the appeal and magic of the original two games.
    Another change was to the "spirit" of the series, I would say, as the entire cast and story are in a much more comical mood, which is very different than R1&2's storylines which were relatively grimmer and more serious.
    While it does not matter THAT much in games like these, I feel like I preferred more the serious take of the series, especially since the whole comical atmosphere does not work 100% of the time. It's not 100% either, but more of a hit and miss kind of feeling.

    In conclusion, while being very different, this is still a rather good game and a worthy title of the series. It seems, unfortunately, that the Rabbids thingy which followed later pretty much ended things for Rayman in 3D, and after Ubisoft pretty much concluding the series with Origins & Legends, it's a shame we won't see any more titles like this.    … Expand
  10. Steeldude
    Mar 24, 2015
    8
    Unlike Rayman 2/Revolution, this game is much more humorous (sometimes way too much) and focuses on battling rather than exploring which is a shame, as it makes it considerably shorter and the levels are broken to smaller segments in which you have almost no freedom (there are no branching paths). It is still a very good platformer with good boss fights and varied landscapes, but it isUnlike Rayman 2/Revolution, this game is much more humorous (sometimes way too much) and focuses on battling rather than exploring which is a shame, as it makes it considerably shorter and the levels are broken to smaller segments in which you have almost no freedom (there are no branching paths). It is still a very good platformer with good boss fights and varied landscapes, but it is nowhere near the level of Rayman 2/Revolution. There is a new system of gaining points which is a way of unlocking minigames (most of them are bad, though) and bonus videos (which are short, but funny). All in all, a solid 3D platformer that takes a different turn from Rayman 2.… Expand
  11. SuperkenGaming
    Jul 7, 2018
    6
    Rayman 3 HD
    From fun to frustrating
    Rayman 3 HD is an 8 hour long 3D platformer and revamped version of 2003’s Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc where you set out to stop these hoodlum punks running around the forest.. And we wouldn’t see another mainline rayman game until 8 years later with rayman origins, and going back to 2d that is this series routes was clearly the right call We all have    Rayman 3 HD
    From fun to frustrating
    Rayman 3 HD is an 8 hour long 3D platformer and revamped version of 2003’s Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc where you set out to stop these hoodlum punks running around the forest..
    And we wouldn’t see another mainline rayman game until 8 years later with rayman origins, and going back to 2d that is this series routes was clearly the right call
    We all have nostalgia of 3d platformers, but Rayman 3D is a reminder that this genre wasn’t as great as we remember them being…
    Rayman 3 comes from a time where frustrating equaled fun…
    that isn’t the case throughout the entiriety of this game.. but it rings true for the ultimate delivery…
    the first half of this game is very casual and fun..
    I was surprised how much I was enjoying this 15 year old game, collecting gems to unlock bonus levels, progressing through the levels with the different powers the game gives you, that all really bring you back, you have some tordano power, a fist power, a rocket power, and a flying power..
    these are for the most part used in great ways to keep the gameplay fresh through your 8 hour journey..
    a lotr of the times youll have to defea enenemies for them to drop this power that you need to progress…
    at first its really hard to die in this game..
    I was relieved thinking okay not every 3d platformer was some annoying obstacle to overcome…
    and then the game throws in annoying enemies that fly around and feel impossible to hit, dodging all of your attacks, and then I die trying to defeat them..
    In a modern game no big deal… ill start at the beginning of the room and try again..
    That isn’t the case here…
    The checkpoint system in this game is absolute garbage…
    I died twice in this spot befgore I figured the enemy out and I had tio start from the beginning of the chapter each time… running through the same areas, recollecting the gems, re fighting the enemies in between that spot, redoing the simple yet tedious environmental puzzle…
    and moments like this show up a lot in this game… dying in a boss battle will sometimes make you have to go through a series of platforming to get back into the room to give It another try..
    and the final boss is just a bunch of cheap pultiple stage garbage… the 2nf to last stage youre not only fighting the boss but youre fighting the camera and draw distance as platforms are loading back in as you fall trying to cimb to the top, taking damage… and getting to this point in the fight was frustrating enough.. but if you fall, its game over and you have to redo the 2 stages before it…
    theres just so much awful dated feeling delivery here during a itme where autosaving and checkpoints weren’t really a thing yet and it really makes the final stretch of the game feel hard to enjoy.. especially since it does that thing all platformers do where everything was fun and colorful, but not its all dark and lava, and ugly, full of steam, all mixed in a soup of unfun anxiety with credits at the bottom of the bowl.
    I still do believe this game is worth playing through..
    its has its moments of fun, decent level design, a great feeling of discovery and exploration.. it just would’ve been so much better with modern staples and a respect of the players time and effort,
    I give Raman 3 HD
    a 6/10    … Expand
  12. Nuker
    Jul 1, 2015
    8
    - Good: Gameplay, Art direction, Sounds, Atmosphere
    - Mixed: Story, Exploration
    - Bad: ---

    Very entertaining game, varied gameplay and great locations.
  13. Lord_Drewno
    Dec 2, 2015
    10
    The greatest platformer ever made. Simply.
    The only game after 2010 which reach the R3:HH level is Alice: Madness Return. Also Cloudbuilt is perfect, but... Olny the Rayman have this kind of humour and colorful world, which force you to play this game again and again and again, until you learn it for your memory :-)
  14. sherfall
    Nov 7, 2019
    10
    Лучшая игра про молчаливого парнишку который спасёт мир от злумов 12 глобоксов из 10 игра детства :3
  15. LT_Gruber
    Jan 10, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great sequel with lots of new features, humor and content.

    Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is a worthy successor for the second game. It adds new game play mechanics, new enemies and a fun new story filled with jokes, new challenges and beautiful locations.

    In terms of story, Rayman 3 stays true to the previous games. You got your villain, in this case a Hoodlum called André who wants to take over the world by turning all the Lums into the black, plushy Hoodlum enemies in the game. Rayman (and Globox) need to stop him and his army of Hoodlums and save the world.

    You travel trough many different worlds with the help of the Teensies, who are always partying and sometimes take a moment to teleport you to the next world. Every time you are about to enter a new world, you need to complete a skateboarding level in a space dimension with rails that you need to stay on. You go to swamp worlds, icy mountains, forests and fairy landscapes. It is all great fun and no level looks the same. The levels are linear but designed in a way that you can explore them however you want, and you can backtrack almost any time.

    The mechanics in Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc have been greatly improved. You now have a targeting system to hit enemies more effectively, can throw punches in an arch around them and the best new feature of all: The different suits that you collect, each with their unique power. You got power fist armor which can be used to insta-kill most enemies and break wooden doors, swinging grappling hook armor which lets you swing on rings, a rocket suit that let you guide a rocket towards a target or enemy and many more. They last a short amount of time but when you got a can (yeah, they come in cans), you can recharge the suit infinitely. Although the cans and their use are heavily scripted in order to progress (a button out of reach that you need to hit with the rocket suit for example), you can still use the suit for an advantage against enemies or discover hidden locations in the area. Many times, I walked back to a can so I could get a stronger punch against the enemies.

    Speaking about the enemies, I really like their appearance as sack like dolls with sewed mouths and wobbly movements. They make funny noises when punched and can present a real challenge sometimes. I thought they were just as fun and well balanced as the Pirate Robots from Rayman 2: The Great Escape.

    The graphics are also improved from Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Although Rayman himself and Globox look the same, the environments are all completely fresh and filled with live and moving objects. The artwork and colors are just stunning for a game from 2003.

    The sound effects are great, and you can feel the punches that you throw at your enemies. The snappy sounds when you grab rings, the destruction of a wooden door that you break, it all sounds perfect. The music tracks are also a work of art on their own. The best examples are the swamp levels, in which the music is a tragic, almost depressing tune that fits the flat and lifeless environment, and the boss battle, in which you get pumped up and the tracks increase in intensity when progressing trough the different phases of the battle.

    The controls are fluent and a big improvement over Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Although the controls were all right in that game, in Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, they feel more responsive and less stiff.

    The end boss battle was epic. It did not have the right to be this amazing and thrilling but it did. Conquering the three phases of the final battle was, as a kid, one of my proudest achievements and one of the best boss battles that I experienced.

    The best feature in this game is the sarcastic and humorous approach that the game takes on all of a sudden. Murfy reads from the original Rayman manual and makes multiple jokes about the first games and video games in general. Globox is portrayed as an idiot and lives up to that title. His facial expressions and commentary are hilarious, and I still think the humor in this game is one of the best I experienced.

    Overall, I think Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is a very good game, and I loved every second of it.

    Definitely recommend it.    … Expand
  16. Cer2xrafa
    Aug 8, 2023
    8
    Juego de plataformas sencillo para pasar un rato agradable, los jefes, música y dirección de arte, es muy buena
    Aún así, existen juegos del género mucho mejores

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Best PC Game of 2003
68
#68 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
63
#63 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. GameZone
    80
    A game that is entertaining and frustrating because the environmental rules change within the same maps. You can walk to the edge on one bridge, but do it on another and you’ll fall off.
    Read full review
  2. ActionTrip
    85
    A great arcade platformer, which is still a rarity on PC, excellent atmosphere, low frustration level, humor, and did I mention the game has reasonable price tag of $19.99...
    Read full review
  3. Computer Gaming World
    60
    If only the camera system were half as responsive as the bad guys are. [July 2003, p.89]
See all critic reviews »